{ rachtravel }: Revival + Day 25-28 Bohemian Rhapsody

Well, I have failed to update this blog for 1.5 years now! It's been so long that I couldn't even remember how to log on to this site! It's a shame I didn't finish documenting that 2006 US/Europe Trip because I only had ONE city left to update - Prague & well Singapore. (but that was more a stopover)

Anyways, since my last update, I have gone on 2 more holidays! And I haven't really documented those holidays at all! So I am thinking of reviving this old blog mainly for my own records, and also to share with friends :)

Day 25-28: Prague

Dad and I boarded the train from Vienna en route destination Prague.

By the time we arrived in Prague it was a late Friday afternoon. Immediately upon landing at Prague station - I was almost 'lost' for a minute. It was the realisation that Prague is indeed an extremely foreign place. They speak an unfamiliar language and a language I can barely read. The country is not as wealthy as its neighbouring Western European countries, you could just tell by the way public spaces have been maintained...it's just not quite like Switzerland in its pristine condition. However, this alone intrigued me. And I was eager to discover this mysterious city.

Charles Bridge

We stayed at this cute boutique hotel by the name of Hotel Kampa. It was different to the ritzy business hotels we had been staying at. Importantly, it was located on the 'old' Prague side of town. And the dining/breakfast room hall was decorated with armours from Ancient times...how different! In a good way!

Day 1 Prague we only managed to stroll along the riverside and take in the magnificent autumn scenery of this central European country. I was amazed by the scenery. I felt like I was transported to the days of fairytales. It had that magical element about it. The scene at Charles Bridge just further up from the hotel was full of life...mostly by the vast number of tourists this old city attracts. Not far from Charles Bridge (Karluv most) is Prague Castle from a distance. It's magnificent and lights up at night, one can only imagine its occupants from centuries past overwatching their kingdom from above.

Charles Bridge and all the tourists!

Postcard Prague!!

I don't usually describe all my meals, but my Dad and I enjoyed an incredible meal literally alongside Vltava river. Apparently its a fancy restaurant that celebrities go to. (or so the pamphlets and photos told us) We only went there because it was along our walking path. Watching the sunset whilst sipping a glass of wine and good food was the highlight! And the cold later experienced...well it was chilly! The waitstaff were kind enough to offer blankets since we were sitting outdoors!

Charles Bridge by Night (view from Restaurant!)

Day 2 Prague: Since it was a weekend away trip, we boarded our organised 3 hour tour of Prague City. With our friendly Czech tour guide, our mini bus took us to the many famous Prague sites, most importantly Prague Castle. Again, I was struck by the sheer amount of people at the Prague Castle grounds. There were loads and loads of tourists from all corners of the world! I think more so than all the other European cities I had visited. Like numerous other tourists, we watched the changing of the guards. To be honest, I never find these changing of the guards that interesting, yet somehow it is a 'must see'?! And I actually didn't see much at all since there were just TOO many people! The most interesting part about the guards were the uniforms, as it was designed by the costume designer for the movie Amadeus. (my brain has a great memory for useless facts!) Back to Prague Castle - I think it was a case of it looking nicer from afar than up close? Hard to tell since I didn't really get to explore the Castle as such, mainly just walked around the Castle grounds along with all the other tourists! The design of the Castle did remind me of Schonbrun Palance in Vienna, as I think they modelled it on the Habsburgs famed design. The other highlight would have to be St Vitus Cathedral. And really, that is the 'Prague Castle' you see from a distance! It's a gorgeous gothic medieval cathedral that once again, takes you back in time! I must also admit though, that by this stage of my holiday, I was a bit over seeing all these churches in Europe! Perhaps I'll revisit another time and better appreciate it!

Other sights of Prague we visited include:

Old Townhall and Astronomical Clock
Old Town Square
Golden Lane
And most likely other sights I don't remember now as it has been 1.5 years!

At night, we were supposed to watch a special performance (I can't even remember what it was now, some black theatre show I think), instead we purchased tickets to go watch the Prague Royal Orchestra perform (us being the classical music enthusiasts!) at the Municipal House and it was a very nice performance indeed, playing the more popular and well known pieces.

Selection from the 'Fireworks Music' by Handel
Sinfonia in G by Vivaldi
Serenade G Dur "A Little Night Music" by Mozart
Two Walzes by Dvorak (famous Czech composer!)
Serenade in C Major for Strings by Tchaikovsky

Day 3 Prague - We were actually given a Prague 2 Day city pass as part of this weekend package, so we thought we'd better use it for something...so off we went to visit The National Musuem. Whilst I didn't expect much, I wasn't impressed either, but it was an OK museum to learn about the Prehistory of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia, collections of rocks and minerals, paleontology, zoology, anthropology and so on. After spending a few hours in the museum and the town centre, my dad had decided that was enough sightseeing for him, so off I went again to do some more exploring. I didn't really have a plan, so whilst exploring all the little lanes and alleys from the 'old' world, which was really the best part of exploring Prague, I ended up at Prague Castle again! This time it was late Sunday afternoon, AWAY from all the crowds of people! A much more pleasant experience! It was quite the hike to get up to Prague Castle as well, and I'm quite proud to say I managed! (Not that it was incredibly difficult, but there were many stairs!) I was able to take a better look of all the sights and scenes from the previous day in a much more pleasant state! And what a way to end my Prague journey on!

Since my memory is failing me, I think photos speak louder than words, so here are some Praha Highlights: